No matter how hard I try, I just can’t stress enough how important it is to choose the right motorcycle tires. I’ll debate the issue with my friends who insist that a motorcycle’s engine is more important than its tires. On that issue, I can’t say who’s right. Both a motorcycle’s engine and a good set of tires are important, but I also can’t seem to get them to agree that motorcycle tires are just as critical an issue. Not to mention other key factors that directly influence a bike’s performance…

First of all, the tires literally “go” with the bike that they’re put on. They have to match. Every single tire is built to accommodate the demands of a certain bike and it addresses every issue from tread style, bias, materials, and more all the way to riding style (racing, street use, etc.).

Second, the front and rear tires on a motorcycle are different from each other. Every tire is engineered to perform a specific way depending on its placement (front or rear) and if you put a tire on the wrong end, you’re not only dragging down the performance of the tire, you’re also dragging down the performance of the entire bike. You’re also risking a severe crash considering that the back tire is designed to provide acceleration and the front tire is engineered to provide braking power.

Third, the back wheel is built to carry more weight than the front wheel and it’s also built to simply lean. The front wheel however is built to lean as well as to turn left and right. I don’t want to imagine what could happen if tires were mounted in the wrong ends.

With this said, here are a few bits of information that should help to understand some of the differences between motorcycle tires. Hope they help.

Racing Motorcycle Tires

Racing tires are in a category of their own and racing professionals of course have their favorites. Good motorcycle racing tires should maintain excellent contact with the ground at steep angles and they should always accommodate the need for hard cornering. Since racing bikes need maximum acceleration from a full stop or out of a turn, their tires must be able to perform under continual stress at high speeds.

No other tires endure as much abuse as motorcycle racing tires. And although they aren’t normally exposed to the debris that street bikes are, racing tires need to be puncture proof because they are exposed to major stress at the racetrack or debris (sharp rocks and branches for example) during off road competitions.

Another thing — racing tires usually don’t get the standard “break-in” period before they’re used on the track. That means they have to perform well as soon as they’re put on.

Sport Motorcycle Tires

Sport bias motorcycle tires usually have radial-style tread patterns. This pattern helps sport bikes produce a large footprint which is appropriate for street and road riding. This kind of tires give motorcycles a good contact with the surface and enable good cornering. They also perform well in all weather conditions.

Sport bikes require tires that last longer than racing tires, so the compounds they are developed with are harder than the ones used for racing tires and they provide a good combination of grip and wear resistance.

Touring Motorcycle Tires

Touring tires should hold a good grip on all road surfaces including asphalt, concrete, chip seal, and others regardless of what the weather is. If you’ll notice, the way that touring motorcycle tires are designed indicates a thoughtful balance between long tread life and good grip. Touring motorcycle tires should also feature front and rear tread patterns designed for water evacuation.

Other important factors include bias-ply construction with overlapping layers of synthetic rubber and composite mesh. This gives tires a good balance between load capacity and comfort.

It is impossible to talk about all the different kind of tires you can find in just a blog post but hopefully the above will give you an idea of why it’s important to choose the right tires for your motorcycle.

The most important thing to remember when choosing motorcycle tires is: The type of tire you select must match the type of bike you ride and there really isn’t any getting around it.